Hitched
by NushiKasai
Summary: "Haruno Sakura, you are hereby assigned this S-Rank mission of convincing the entire Kage Summit that you and Uchiha Sasuke are both married and irrevocably in love with each other." Naruto and Sasuke, the two Hokage candidates, were to be presented to all the villages at the Kage Summit. Sakura didn't expect to be going along for the ride. Especially not as Sasuke's 'fake' wife.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Naruto. I never will. Yeah. **

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Everyone has that day in their life where they can look back and say that it changed their entire destiny.

For me, that day was when the Sixth Hokage candidates were announced.

Earlier in the week, Tsunade-shishou had called me to her office and told me that she was seriously considering me as a candidate. She'd wanted my clarification that I would be committed.

It had taken a lot of thought, but I'd decided to withdraw. I'd really just announced that I would go for it in the heat of the battle and the exhilaration of being reunited with my team. And despite the fact that I felt as though I would be able to grow strong enough to deserve the Hokage position, I just…didn't feel as though it were my destiny.

I could help people, but I just didn't feel as though I was _supposed _to be Hokage. And that decision was only halfway influenced by Naruto running for the candidacy.

Regardless, my decision led me to where I was now; standing in the office of the Hokage. And I was not alone.

Firmly at least three metres away from me, looking as though he had some sort of stick up his ass, was Sasuke Uchiha.

After defeating Madara and Obito, he'd returned to the village, pulled a few close-connections strings, and was allowed to resume his ninja duties once he underwent a period of mandatory house-arrest to ensure that he wasn't going to desert again.

I would never admit it, but I was proud of how well I'd acted around him. Whilst I still called him 'kun', I had not attempted to become exceptionally close to him like I once would have. I told myself that I was stronger now; that my young love had faded and that I would treat Sasuke as a friend unless he wishes otherwise.

But despite that, I'd barely spoken to him since his return.

I mean, sure, we'd have the odd encounter in the street, but he would seem to clam up suddenly and stoically say 'Sakura' as a greeting before going on his way. On the rare occasion that Naruto would group everyone together at Ichiraku Ramen, I would act as though there wasn't a quiet, but ominous cloud looming near us in the shape of Sasuke Uchiha.

After months of hard work, he had managed to convince most of Konoha of his reformed status, and now the disbelievers were in a minority. His building popularity had only been boosted when he was announced as a Hokage candidate alongside Naruto and handful of others.

That alone had been a shock.

However, this was something else entirely.

I blinked repeatedly in an attempt to better comprehend just _what _my shishou had just said.

"You want me to do _what?"_ I asked slowly, as though I could convince myself that the words that had stumbled from my respected teacher's lips were not what I thought they were.

Tsunade sighed and raised a hand to her forehead in a sign of stress and I could sense the flow of chakra being used to sooth the ache that was undoubtedly beginning in her temples. Really, Sakura briefly wondered the appeal of Hokage sometimes- it just seemed too stressful for the trouble.

Across the room, Sasuke had stiffened even further- the pinkette had not thought it possible but the Uchiha seemed to have an annoying way of proving her wrong.

"Sakura, I cannot stress how important this is," Tsunade clenched her hands together and placed her arms on her desk in a position that could support the rest of her body. "With the war over, the peace treaty is still quite fragile. One mistake and it's gone."

"But _he_ can protect himself!" I protested, gesturing wildly with my right hand in the general direction of my former teammate. "He doesn't need me!"  
Something flashed between Tsunade's eyes as she flicked her glance over to meet the Uchiha's. I wasn't privy to whatever mental exchange occurred between them in the matter of seconds that their gazes crossed.

"The Kage Summit has been called so that the officials of each major village can examine and associate with the next possible Hokage," the blonde woman explained as she tore her eyes away from Sasuke's and returned her professional, intense stare onto me. "It is essentially a prime opportunity for any vengeance-mongering citizen to wreak havoc on our peace treaty by assassinating the Hokage candidates."

I stifled a scoff at the notion of simply _any _shinobi deluding themselves into thinking that they could easily assassinate Sasuke Uchiha or Naruto Uzumaki. They would be in for a nasty prize.

"I pity the ninja who tries to beat either candidate in a battle," I dryly told my mentor, and I noticed in the corner of my eye that my teammate's lip had tugged upwards in a mild smirk at my comment.

My mentor, however was not amused.

"A main form of assassination attempts, Sakura, is through the means of _seduction_," Tsunade seriously informed me, and immediately all light thoughts exited my mind. "Too many good nin have fallen to a flirtatious wink. This cannot afford to happen at the summit."

Seduction. I remembered reading about that during my study time before the Chuunin exams. I'd skimmed over the book with a heavy blush as it spoke of 'techniques' and 'handy tips for getting the job done.' And trust me; 'the job' was not referring to the actual assassination.

But wait…If Tsunade wanted _my _help with warding off whores who were handy with a kunai at the Kage Summit, then that must mean that Sasuke had already approached her with concern regarding this issue; regarding the issue of sexual experience.

I couldn't help but stifle a grin at the thought. My amusement, however, was wiped off by Tsunade's next words.

"Whilst it won't prevent seduction attempts entirely," my mentor continued intensely, with the hint of a glare in her eyes as she guessed what my entertained thoughts were revolving around, "It would not only boost security, but also ward off _some_ of the seduction attempts if the Hokage candidates were thought to already…**be married**."

In retrospect, it was a good idea.

Naruto was fairly steady with Hinata, so I could only assume that the Hyuuga heiress had been assigned the role of being his 'wife' at the Kage Summit. She was strong, capable of the job and would scratch the eyes out of whatever bitch attempted to touch Naruto. Plus, the Kyuubi host was madly in love with her and respect her above all else.

But Sasuke was…_Sasuke._

And that was the moment when I truly realised what I was exactly being asked to do.

Shit.

…Oh, this wasn't good.

"Are you telling me that I have to pretend to be married to Sasuke Uchiha?" I asked slowly, clarity seeping into my mind as I spoke.

Tsunade's expression was solemn, as she _knew _about my feelings towards him and how this was _not_ a good idea…in my opinion.

"Not entirely," my mentor continued, and a rock basically slammed into the pit of my stomach as she opened her mouth and sealed my fate. "Haruno Sakura, you are hereby assigned this S-Rank mission of convincing the entire Kage Summit that you and Uchiha Sasuke are both married to and irrevocably in love with other."

Yeah…this was the day that changed my life. _For the worse, it seemed._

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**Thanks for reading! Sorry about the short length- it's more a prologue, if anything. Please drop a review and let me know what you think!**

**REVIEWS FEED MY MOTIVATION TO WRITE MORE ;) **


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you kidding?" Ino asked with her unnecessarily loud voice filling my otherwise empty apartment. "You and Sasuke got hitched?!"

I exited the kitchen with two cups of tea in my hand and sighed to myself. Despite the fact that she was my dear friend, Ino sure knew how to blow things out of proportion sometimes.

But yeah, not this time.

In essence, Sasuke and I were essentially now 'hitched.' Or, at least we were according to basically everyone in the ninja world- exempting a few close friends and inside men who knew the truth.

We were given rings for the mission, though I had to wear mine prior to the Summit in order to convince the public that it was true, and we were given a new schedule to follow in the few days leading up to the actual event.

"According to the mission," I corrected Ino as I placed her tea cup in front of her and took my seat opposite her with a dejectedly slouched back. "I am to be his wife/bodyguard/angst-filled-ex-teammate."

This entire affair was going to give me grey hairs, I thought.

"Sounds like a June wedding," Ino remarked dryly as she flipped her hair off to the side and leant against my table by supporting her weight on her right forearm. Then, with a huff she pinched her eyelids shut and sighed. "I can't believe that it was _you _who was chosen, though."

For a moment, I thought that maybe she was jealous or something, for which I was swiftly about to tell her that there was _nothing _to be jealous of, when she opened her eyes and I saw no jealously present in her gaze. There was only concern.

"You know, because of your history together," she continued, her expression almost egging me to speak my thoughts. "This is bound to stir the pot a little."  
"I don't think there really _is _a pot to stir, anymore," I replied to her, memories of a hate-filled, chaotic laugh and a violent, death-mongering gaze flashing to mind. "He's not a traitor…but he's not my childhood crush."

Ino watched me carefully for a moment, surveying me with a maturity that I rarely saw from her, and then she gave a small chuckle and closed her eyes- wearing an expression that I couldn't help but compare to her old teacher, Asuma.

"You know, Forehead," she drawled with a grin, leaning forward to deliver a swift, painless flick to the forehead that was the bane of my existence, "You really have grown up."

This was quite a big thing to say- especially for Ino.

Now, if only I could believe it. _That _would be even bigger.

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The next day arrived too swiftly for my liking.

I said my goodbyes- though most people were too overcome with the suddenness of the entire situation to really let it sink in- and I soon found myself outside the gates of Konoha as the traveling diplomatic party readied themselves for departure.

Regardless of where I was going, people would recognise the name Haruno Sakura as being the student of the fifth Hokage, so at least I didn't have to dress soppily and like a noblewoman as we travelled. No, that part wouldn't come until we were at least a day's journey away from the Kage Summit.

I melded with the crowd, and found myself beside Hinata. The Hyuuga heiress seemed to be wearing a heavy blush that I suspected was not going to fade for quite some time. Upon seeing me, the other girl smiled welcomingly and bowed politely.

Damn it, I thought to myself, as Sasuke's _wife_ I was going to have to be polite to everybody. No punching diplomats who piss me off or wringing Naruto's neck when he annoys me.

I sighed to myself and strained my lips to return a grimace with a small semblance of a smile to Hinata. Her welcoming demeanour vanished into worry and concern.

"Sakura, are you okay?" The heiress placed a hand on my shoulder and gazed into my eyes with care. "Do you feel unwell?"

Unwell. That was the biggest understatement of the century, I think.

"I'm…fine, Hinata," I forced myself to reply, before shrugging off her concerned hand and bowing as is polite. "This entire situation is just a little bit overwhelming."

The Hyuuga melted into an empathetic expression of understanding, and she placed her bag down at her feet as the officials at the head of the travelling party had given us no indication that we would be leaving any time soon.

"Naruto and I have known about the plan for some time," Hinata told me, the semi-permanent blush on her cheeks intensifying at the mention of her lover. Then, her eyes widened suddenly in a moment of panic. "About me being Naruto's bodyguard, I mean. Not about you and Sasuke! I would've told you about that, I swear"-

"I knew what you meant," I interrupted her with a smile to put her at ease. She relaxed instantly and then continued on.

"I mean, Naruto and I…we were already…affectionate," she stammered over her words, and I had to repress the snort at her understatement of 'major, passionate love' as being only 'affectionate'. The blush was stronger than ever. "So we're a little different to you and Sasuke."

You mean we're not 'affectionate'? I thought to myself dryly, and mulled suddenly over the previous day's events.

Sasuke and I had left the Hokage's office at the same time, and me, thinking that he had already known about the plan prior to my surprised ambush, proceeded to yell at him. One glare had stopped me, and he promptly informed me that he had only just been aware of the situation, and that, if he'd actually had any choice in the matter, _I_ would have been the _last _person that he would have chosen for the job.

Yeah. We're certainly not on 'affectionate' terms.

"It'll be fine," I replied finally to Hinata with a sigh as I ran my gloved fingers through my hair. I gazed longingly at my gloves, knowing that as we approached the Kage Summit, they would eventually have to be taken off. Stupid, polite, snooty diplomats. "But I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't eager for the end of this mission already."

The timid girl was about to respond, when a loud, boisterous voice interrupted us.

"HINATA! And, oh hey! SAKURA!" The blob of constant annoyance known as Naruto Uzumaki bounded into my vision so suddenly that I had to blink and massage my earlobes to ease my hearing after the assault I'd just endured.

Hinata's blush deepened tenfold as her 'fiance' leaned on her shoulder good-naturedly and winked at us both in greeting. Beside him, Sai came ambling gracefully after.

"Good morning, Ugly," he nodded his head with his fake smile on his lips, and I shrugged in reply.

Yeah. 'Good' morning.

The black eyes of my artistic friend narrowed slightly as they surveyed my reaction, and I could practically see the inner workings of his brain as the went over everything he knew about me and my present situation.

"Considering your past history with the Traitor," Sai mused, and both Naruto and Hinata listened quite raptly, "I take it that you aren't pleased with the current mission you've been assigned."

Another sigh threatened to rise to my throat, but I determinedly pushed it back down and plastered a smile on my lips. It was fake, of course, but it was giving Sai a taste of his own medicine.

"It'll be fine," I replied with a chirpy tone. "Sasuke won't be touched by anyone!"

Naruto and Hinata accepted my response and began to chatter lovingly about the rooms at the Kage Summit, but I noticed that Sai's expression only deepened. Ignoring him, I pretended to be enraptured by my other friends' conversation as the artist eventually lost interest and retrieved his sketchbook from his bag.

A few minutes passed, and I could have sworn that we were all waiting on Kakashi. Of course. But as my mind thought over this, a flash of dark ebony interrupted me.

Standing suddenly before us, was Sasuke Uchiha.

My new 'fiance'.

_Spiffing_.

"Teme!" Naruto yelled in greeting to Sasuke, and pointed a finger at the Uchiha with a boisterous grin on his face. "I'm gonna beat you and become Hokage! Yeah!"

The Uchiha didn't even spare him a glance, and instead raised his stare to me. He held my emerald eyes with his dark gaze before tearing himself away and surveying my bags.

"Do you have everything you need to complete the mission?" Sasuke asked lowly, and whilst any of his fangirls would have swooned at the thought that he was concerned for my success, I knew better.

What he was really asking was; '_Do you have everything/anything to actually pass as a noblewoman?' _

I managed to maintain a blank face and compose myself from allowing my anger to show, and instead smiled brightly.

"Of course!" I replied with a grin, patting my bag in content. "I mean, I only had to pack my combat clothes, and hygiene necessities."

I saw Hinata frown in confusion; as she knew that both of us would have to change into more politically correct clothing to be presented to the Summit. I _did _actually have presentable clothing, but I thought that it would be better to let the Uchiha think that I was going to fail him.

You know, just let him fester a little.

"Hn," was all he said before turning away. A small pout began to form on my lips for not getting the desired effect out of him.

I was about to provoke him more when a loud voice was called over the entire party.

"We're about to depart Konohagakure!"The voice was Tsunade's, and she stood at the front of the crowd; hands on her hips and her presence screaming authority.

Everyone was silent and listened to her instructions.

Five minutes later, we were on the way to the Kage Summit.

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**Thanks for all of your support! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review! It really does feed my motivation to write more!**


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